PERTH (WA)
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CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY 1969
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Peter Roebuck Pictorial feature
3rd January 1969 - Charlie West leads Geoff Stanton. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
3rd January 1969 - Geoff Stanton at full noise around the big showground oval. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
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1969 - CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY. 24th January 1969.Johnny Fenton featuresFormer Supermodified racer Johnny Fenton has tonight taken out the Feature race for the mighty Speedcar's.
Tonight program included the thundering Supermodified's in which the Osborne Park Charger Ray Geneve won the Feature event.
In the Sedan Cars it would be the former Supermodified driver, Shorty Ben Ludlow who would win main event.
Also tonight we were treated to some exiting wheel to wheel action from the Tq's, they always put on great racing and smell so sweet. Joe Coleman won there feature event.
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Peter Roebuck Photo feature
1969 - International Guest. Solo rider Ken McKinley is welcomed to Claremont Speedway by Con Migro. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - Hank Vaanholt, in the Wyatt Motors car 12, has the outside running on Brian "Happy Birthday" McKay, 77 and Bob "Sugarfoot" Goddard through Fowlhouse bend, Hank has recently returned from working in the North West and his half season break from the Claremont oval does not seem to have done him any harm. Bob who began well this season , has had more than his share of misfortune to date, but if he returns to form could be prominent in trophy honours at the end of the year, Brian McKay startled the sceptics a few meetings ago, whe he returned to the track in a Race-Engineering re-built Midget and laid the field before him.
Peter Roebuck Pictorial feature
24th January 1969 - George Markovich with his number [2] 149 Holden powered speedcar at Claremont. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
24th January 1969 - Noel McDonald at speed on the big showground oval. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
24th January 1969 - Harry Ashby awaits his race in the pits. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
24th January 1969 - B Criddle in the [113] FX Holden about to do battle. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
Vintage Speedway Programmes Australia facebook Pictorial feature
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(Program Research: Brad Mitchell)
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1969 - CLAREMONT SPEEDWAY. West Australian Solo Championship. Stock Bikes. Sidecars. TQ's. Speedcars. Supermods & Production Cars 31st January 1969JIM MAGUIRE Just too goodThe Speedcar racing at Claremont Speedway tonight was lifted to a whole new level with the inclusion of Jim Maguire from the United State of America.
Graham McDougall was the stand out driver tonight winning the Tq feature.
In the Supermodified's it was the Charger out of Osbourne Park that swept all before him when he took out the feature race.
The ultra competitive Sedan Car's never fail to thrill the crowd with there bump and grind racing. Tonight it would be Rod Watson in the Holden that would take out the feature event.
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Peter Roebuck Pictorial feature
31st January 1969 - Mick Hothersall on [25] leads [11] Peter Boston. [6] Ross McNicol. [16] Doug Underwood. & [22] Neil Bromilow in the Stock Bikes. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - Graham McDougall in the [21] TQ under pressure from Ross Nicholas in the [29] TQ and Johnny Anderson in the [92] Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - Rob Grant in the [62] TQ turning in some laps at Claremont Speedway. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - Robyn Hunter a regular in the ladies Supermod racing and wife of Ray Hunter who also races Supermods. The girls hit the track tonight for some racing. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - A driver that in the winners circle more often than not in Martin Laughton in his Ford Powered [60] machine. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
Vintage Speedway Programmes Australia facebook Pictorial feature
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 28 images)
(Program Research: Brad Mitchell)
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Peter Roebuck Pictorial feature
7th February 1969 - The Stock Bike racing is always tight, on the curb is [23] Herb Clear. [27] David Walker. & [19] Doug Underwood. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Johnny Anderson very fast around the big Claremont Speedway. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Alf Barbagallo in his Buick V8 fuel injected powered [77] at Claremont. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Ray Hunter in his [88] Supermodified at Claremont. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Rod Watson a young fella in a hurry. always in a hurry to get to the front. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Ben Ludlow is impressing the fans with his Triumph Herald up against the big 6's and V8's. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Ladies Supermodified podium. 1st Robyn Hunter. 2nd unknown. 3rd unknown. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
7th February 1969 - Robyn Hunter sure does add some glamour to the sport of speedway. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
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1969 - AUSTRALASIAN SPEEDWAY WORLD MAGAZINE. Reported. February 1969.
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14th February 1969 - Arthur Watt and Allan Robson at full noise around the big showground dirt oval. Photo: Allan Robson collection.
Vintage Speedway Programmes Australia facebook Pictorial feature
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 28 images)
(Program Research: Brad Mitchell)
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1969 - WEST AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER. Reported. 1st March 1969.
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Peter Roebuck Photo feature
Johnny Watkins - Graham Harris - Tom McQuade - Bryan Ralston - Ivan Hughes - Stan Smith. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - LEN "OZZY" FORSYTH Stock Bikes
Len or Ozzy as has was known in action during a Stock Bike race at Claremont Speedway. Photo: Tony Forsyth.
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1969 - DAILY NEWS NEWSPAPER. Reported.
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Peter Roebuck Pictorial feature
21st March 1969 - Charlie West in his Holden Grey powered Speedcar at Claremont. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
1969 - Johnny Fenton right at home as a Speedcar driver. Photographer: Peter Roebuck.
21st March 1969 - Charlie West leading Geoff Stanton. Photographer: unknown.
21st March 1969 - Gary Ellement at full noise. Photographer: unknown.
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1969 - Laurie Mathews working on his Holden Grey powered car in the pits at Claremont. Photographer: unknown.
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1969 - JOHNNY O'KEEFEDuring 1969 the wild man of Australian Rock-n-Roll Johnny O'Keefe was going through a re-birth in his music career. He toured Vietnam to entertain the Australian troops based there an signed a new record deal with Festival.
What many dont know is that Johnny fancied himself as a speedway racer, Back in Sydney O'Keefe was well known for his love of cars and racing.
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1969 - Johnny O'Keefe and time on the Telethon pannel. |
When Johnny was in Perth for the 1969 Telethon, Claremont Speedway promoter Aub Lawson contracted Ben Ludlow senior who owned a wrecking yard to build a stock car for O'Keefe to race at the showgrounds while he was in town.
Ben Seniors son Ben Junior, a super modified driver at the time who worked at the wreckers, was given the job of building a car, His choice a 1956 Vauxhall Velox, A powerfull six cylinder engine and a lightweight body, Aubs initial re-action to the car was, What a bloody Vauxhall.
All was in ready-ness on the friday night, Johnny's Vauxhall was on the infield awaiting his introduction, As Aub was introducing him to the massive crowd he soon worked out that Johnny was pissed as, so with that Johnny was hidden and Ben Junior was told to get in the car, Young Ben who had never raced a sedan before lined up at the rear of the forty odd car field for the clutch start event and procceded to make his way to the front as the laps ticked over.
The crowed cheered on the rock star and the commentators paid full credit to Johnny, When the checquered flag came out the Vauxhall crossed the line in second spot and drove back into the shadows of the infield were Ben was hidden while Aub once again interviewed Johnny.
The one good thing that has come out of this is, Ben got hooked on sedan car racing and gave the supermods away, He has gone on to thrill the crowds over the years with his highline racing style.